


Yesterday’s Tomorrow

by the_Pop_Culturist



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 15:02:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19770691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_Pop_Culturist/pseuds/the_Pop_Culturist
Summary: No one said life was fair. Not even if you save the world.





	Yesterday’s Tomorrow

_\- My name is Wally West, and I’m the fastest man alive, and I’m lost…so so lost -_

It’s dark when I wake up on the cold wet ice. The only thing I see is the orange brilliant hue of the sun glowing across the icy horizon. Is it sundown or sunset? I have no idea.

The melted silhouette of snow I lay is in stark contrast to the icy tempest that surrounds me. I have no clue how I got here, I don’t even know where _here_ is? Maybe it’s the place I left, or it could be somewhere completely different.

I don’t know where I’ve been. _Everywhere...nowhere_. It all seems the same. It makes no fucking sense.

My mind’s eye drifts back to what seems like…like an ocean of darkness maybe? No wait…that’s not right, more like a starscape of brilliance. No, that’s not it either. It just feels like a dream, and yet where I am now doesn’t feel real either. This is so messed up.

What I do know is I have to move or I’m going to freeze to death.

Something’s changed, I’ve changed. Lightning now chases me wherever I go. That’s new. Also I’m faster…a whole lot faster.

One moment I’m standing in the frozen tundra, the next I’m streaking across the ocean, lightning glimmering off the stories’ tall wake behind me. I don’t know how or why, that answer will just have to wait.

The last thing I remember is a last ditch effort to stop…to stop…something? The Reach? The Light? Yeah that’s sounds right. It’s starting to come back to me now. Barry, Bart, the Chrysalis and…oh god.

Lost in my thoughts I suddenly make landfall, skidding to a stop on the rocky bluffs of the shore line. A startled family panics at my sudden appearance. I don’t blame them; I can’t even imagine what I look like right about now. After we all call catch our collective breaths, they tell I’m in Maine.

_Sure why not_.

It doesn’t make sense, but so far nothing does. My body explodes into motion as I take off towards the west, unsure of where to go, a journey requiring answers I can’t give yet. Maybe the west coast, mid-west, either or both? That’s when it hits me. If someone can make sense of this mess it will be him. I just hope he’s home.

_\- My name is Wally West, and I’m the fastest man alive, and I finally have a purpose, a destination -_

Speeding past the docks of this sleepy harbor town, I vibrate my molecules through the walls of the unassuming warehouse, another feat I was never quite able to master until now. Cool right?

I don’t even have a chance to yell his name before every alarm in the building goes off all at once. Suddenly from the shadows, the slowest, most inert batarangs I’ve ever seen fly out in my direction. They look like they’re moving through water.

Sparks of lightning crash all around me as I make my way up to them; walking around them in curiosity while they lethargically spin through the warehouse. I know better than to pluck one out of the air, in seconds it will explode and I’m just really not in the mood to die again.

I close my eyes and focus, letting the world return to real time as the batarangs fly past me and lodge into the wall, exploding on impact. Soon after, a figure in black appears from nowhere with me directly in his crosshairs. I saw him coming from like a mile away. I could have literally gone to Subway, made a sandwich, and eaten the whole thing before he landed. Like I said, I’m a lot faster.

God it’s good to see him.

He tackles me because I let him. I don’t even try to dodge, it’s easier this way. I don’t want to hurt his ego. I can tell he still loves the ninja thing.

His eyes widen in shock under the domino mask as one word escapes his lips

_“Wally?”_

I smile and receive the best hug I’ve had in ages.

Later, sitting around the coffee table in his apartment, I feel stupid when I have no answers to the barrage of questions he asks. I’ve always been the smart one, not trying to brag, but it’s always been kind of my thing.

_Everything can be explained by science_ , well expect this.

The simple fact is I don’t have any answers and it really pisses me off, but before I can run through the long list of hypotheses, he shows me the calendar and my heart stops.

_Two years_

Two years I’ve been gone. That bit of news hits me like a ton of bricks. How is that even possible? It feels like all this just happened yesterday, but when I close my eyes somehow it feels even longer.

Dick tells me the Reach are long gone, and the latest attempt to conquer the Earth, by some group I’ve never heard of before, has been thwarted by the Justice League and a new team of young heroes, most of who I don’t recognize. Dick shows me a video and sure, there’s a few I do know; Bart, Tim, Cassie, Gar, Jamie, God they’ve grown up, but the rest are strangers.

Finally I find the courage to ask…to ask about _her_. It’s been the elephant in the room the whole time. I know she’s alive, he would have told me that hours ago if she wasn’t, but by the way Dick stammers, the way he shifts uncomfortably in his chair, it gives me the answer I didn’t want to hear. It’s been two years, she’s moved on. He doesn’t make excuses, he doesn’t pull his punches. He’s a realist; he always has been.

I make him swear not to tell anyone I’m back, not yet at least. I don’t even know how I’m going to be able to explain this to my parents; my mom’s going to be a mess. And Barry…I can’t even imagine the guilt he’s been carrying around for letting his nephew die. I bet Aunt Iris let him have it.

It was my choice, my dumb decision. I hope everyone hasn’t blamed him for something he had no control over.

Dick makes me swear I won’t go _there_ , that I won’t go to Star City and see for myself. He tells me she’s not ready, that I’m not ready. I tell him he’s right and I won’t.

I lie. He probably knew it before I even said it.

All I know is right now I just need to run and clear my head. I do my best thinking when I’m in motion.

_\- My name is Wally West, and I’m the fastest man alive, and right now I feel like I’m slowly dying inside -_

I never said goodbye to her. We didn’t make videos or write letters to give to each other if something terrible happened. We were out of the life. What could go wrong?

I honestly thought I was going to make it, I thought the three of us would once again save the day. I guess in the end we did, it just didn’t happened the way I hoped it would. I gave Barry one last message to give to her, I hope he heard me.

xxx

It’s a simple house, a nice house; cozy and warm. It’s something I would’ve liked to have lived in one day. A wife, two kids, a dog. It was supposed to be with her; capes and cowls stored away and forgotten.

I’m drenched as I slowly approach the kitchen window under the cover of darkness, the sky having opened up the moment I entered the city limits.

_Figures. God I hate this fucking town._

My heart is racing as I try to figure out what to say, what to do. Two years is two years too long. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be, _this_ was supposed to be us. We were happy, we had a life together. It was supposed to be one mission, one last mission, but life rarely goes as planned.

I wipe the wet hair out of my eyes as I peek inside, all the while thunder echoes off in the distance, another omen I choose to ignore.

_My God! Lian!_

She’s so big. How did this happen? It seems like just yesterday she was barely walking, now she seems ready to bust out of that booster seat she’s sitting in. Aw man she’s so damn cute, a real heartbreaker. Her eyes just shine when she smiles. Through the pane I can hear her laugh. She seems so happy. Good for her. I loved being her uncle, even if it was just pretend.

As the refrigerator closes I see him, and my first reaction is to want to slug him. I don’t care for the beard, it’s stupid. He looks like an old worn down shrimp boat captain or some pervy college professor that hits on his students. I don’t care what his name is now, I don’t like him.

After a few moments I sigh and let the bitterness pass. He’s had it tougher than most. The memory implants, the cloning, the loneliness and isolation. He looks healthy now, he looks clean. It’s probably taken a whole lot of work for him to get here; I don’t have to be a dick about it. He’s my friend. Still don’t like the beard though.

Finally the moment I dreamed and dread appears in front of me as she enters the room. I almost forgot how beautiful she was. It’s only been two years but it seems like a lifetime. Despite the cold and the rain, I’m sweating. My knees feel weak, I can no longer feel my heartbeat in my chest because of how fast it’s beating.

I can still see that teenager; all spit and fire, snarky attitude with skills to match. It would take less than a second to vibrate through those walls and be miles away before anyone noticed. Then we could talk, we could kiss and put everything back to the way it used to be. If she could just give me a chance I could make it all right again. We could have our happily ever after.

But when she leans down and kisses Lian on the forehead and then Roy…Will…on the lips, I know that dream is over. Its two year later and life moves on. People move on.

It’s a gut punch for sure. I feel sick to my stomach and the pain in my chest is real, not imagined. I’ve never been in love before, and because of that I’ve never had my heartbroken either. I guess they’re first times for everything.

There will be no parades, no medals or recognition. The world is safe and heroes don’t take curtain calls. I wasn’t the first to make the ultimate sacrifice, and I won’t be the last. I just wish things could be…different.

One day when we see each other again, it will be awkward, uncomfortable. There will be guilt, sadness and probably tears. She doesn’t deserve that. I can’t blame her for falling in love again. I had my chance.

She seems happy and she did exactly what she’s supposed to. Life moves on and people have to move along with it or get left behind. I would have preferred it not be with one of my best friends. Roy…I mean Will; he’s a standup guy. I know he’ll treat her right. He better.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the dog at my feet, whining for attention.

_Aw Brucely_

I bend down as the dog leaps into my lap, covering my face in sloppy canine kisses. I don’t know who’s happier to see the other. Its nice to be remembered. He runs off for a moment, returning just as quickly with something in his mouth; something no doubt he wants to start a game of catch with. Some things never change. God I’ve missed him, I’ve missed everything.

He drops the item on the ground tail wagging, waiting for me to send it hurdling down the yard when I hear a squeak.

It’s a plushy. It’s me.

I just stare at the Kid Flash doll lying in the dirt, and a tear slowly runs down my cheek. If seeing her again was the gut punch, this was the knockout. I should have listened to Dick. I should have kissed her longer under the Eifel Tower. I should have said goodbye back then when I had the chance.

I should have done a lot of things.

“Brucely!” she suddenly yells from the porch. “Come on boy, time to get out of the rain!”

“Take care of her boy,” I whisper, patting him gently on the head as I take off. The lighting chasing me blends seamlessly into the stormy night.

Did she notice the spark that sped off into forever? Did it remind her of something? Deep down I hope so.

_\- My name is Wally West and I’m the fastest man alive, and right now I feel like I have nowhere left to run. I know I did the right thing, then and now, but it hurts and it’s going to for a long time. No one said life was fair, but a little karmic sympathy sure would have been nice. _I love her, I always will. She’s alive, she’s happy, and that has to be enough. All I can do is pick up the pieces of my former life and keep moving, because that’s what Flashes do -__

**Author's Note:**

> I hate myself for writing this. Thanks a lot season three. Please come back Wally. I'll fix any typos later, Right now I'm just too sad lol.


End file.
